Goodreads

About Jana Greene

By: Jana Greene

So what you should you know about me?

I love my husband (whom I refer to as “My Beloved” because he truly is) with my whole heart. He really is – cliche not withstanding – my best friend, and I’m so glad to be doing this crazy life with him. We have been together nearly 12 years. Our blended family includes three now-grown daughters, one grandbaby, and three very spoiled kitty cats.

I’ve worked at insurance and real estate agencies, mortgage companies, law offices, and as a day-care teacher. As a single mother I worked several at a time – including a hardware store paint-slinger and as a part-time hotel maid. All were character building. But I’ve been a writer – legit or not – since I could hold a crayon.

I am imperfect all the way. As a writer, I use the forbidden “three dots”…too often and cannot bear to part with the text-forbidden smiley faces 🙂 and sometimes use run-on sentences because I think they convey stream-of-consciousness better and yes, I know all of these are against the Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style” guidelines. I have written one small newspaper and one large-ish one, and have had several articles published in “In Recovery Magazine.

I write for the selfish reason that it helps me productively process the pain and pleasure in life when I pour words onto a page. And for the selfless reason that I cannot help anyone else find the “Bread of Life” if I don’t show them where I found it.

Because, all of these things I tell you about me, are true, but none define me. I am a Christian, and because I am, I’m also a princess and a beggar. That is my most accurate self-description.

In 2001, I came to the end of myself and all of my delusions of put-together-ness, which is to say – I got sober from alcohol. If you know me even casually, you know I am an alcoholic. I haven’t had a drink in that long, but I am still – forever – in recovery, something that keeps me humble and coming back for more of what got me clean in the first place. Every single day. I keep it “out there” because there is somebody, somewhere who is hiding bottles and drinking that “two” beers just to stop the shaking and who is so, so, ashamed. I know shame. Or maybe he/she is addicted to drugs, or porn, or the approval of others – it’s all the same to your soul – or cannot seem to find a reason to wake up in the morning. I can’t tell you how to fix it, but I can tell you who can. I can tell you that I 100% expected to die during that hard time, and sometimes would have considered it a relief. I still have bad days (that “One Day at a Time” thing…) but I have the clarity to enjoy the GOOD ones, of which there are many. Faith and humor are key. Oh, and boundaries, on occasion.

One Day at a time, by the Grace of God.
Even if I might have bad days, or whine a little. You know, just to keep it real!

One beggar showing another beggar where she found food. When I couldn’t love myself enough to lift myself up, I crawled back to Jesus, and He said “You look hungry… come to the table!” Redemption is the best feast ever.

All posts are copyrighted. Feel free to share a link to this blog and let me know who you are sharing it with, please 🙂

Post navigation

19 thoughts on “About Jana Greene”

I cannot wait to bake with you! I look forward to your words, I too am flawed and deal with my own issues. I have always been a believer, but I now seek God’s guidance and am trying to let go to his will (those who know me know I tend to be a control freak)…and my grammar vice is using parentheses! Lisa S.

I am so happy to find your blog! If the posts which follow are as witty, sensitive, transparent and with the depth of the first one, then we are definitely all in for many future treats. Love the title and the truth behind it. I look forward to feasting at your blog/bakery frequently, because I too continue to carry all the trappings and the identifying marks of a beggar calling out to my fellows. Much love Jana, and may your sails be filled with fair writing winds.

I love your writings and look forward to more my sister in sobriety and life sweet friend. So focused, honesty from your heart. So so proud of you and the life you have made for yourself and your girls. You continue to inspire me. xoxox

Lisa!!! So good to hear from you! Thank you so much….this blogging thing is out of my comfort zone, to be honest….but I’m just going with it. You are amazing as well (and haven’t aged a day in 20 years!) Sending much love right back to you!

You have a gift to which you will reply that I do, too, but I don’t have the same gift you do. I sincerely believe we both are blessed and called to use words for His glory–mine are meant to be spoken and yours have to be written. God fills us, blesses us, uses us in different ways to spread his message of healing, redemption, hope, and love–and I am proud to walk or run along side of you (not that you are actually running anywhere at this moment in time), my brilliant writer friend, straight to God!

Ahhh, yes. You are so gifted, my Melissa. We are on parallel journeys, you and I. Thank you for your support – which you have always been so generous with. Onward and upward for that one true goal, so much infinitely bigger than ourselves. Love you so.